Educational toy clock dial



Sept. 12, 1939. E. M P|TCHER 2,172,450l

EDUCATIONAL TOY CLOCK DIAL Filed May 14, 1938 Patented Sept. l2, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.112.450 EDUCATIONAL 'roy oLocx DIAL man M. Pitcher. Utica, N. Y.

Application my 14. 193s, serial, No. 201,946

3 Claims.

My invention relates to an educational toy clock dial and I declare the following to be a full, clear, concise and exact description thereof sumcient to enable anyone skilled in the art to 5 which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the specication.

'I'he object of the invention is to provide a l simple device for teaching children how to tell time. The device will be found particularly useful in the home for individual instruction and in the schools where a whole class of children can be taught from a single device.

Furthermore, the device combines the element of a toy with such educational purpose aforementioned.

The toy element appeals to the childs natural instinct to discover mysteries and his desire to vmanipulate movable objects to unlock secrets.

The object will be understood by referring to the drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a plane view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken on the line 2,2 oi' Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the device it embodies a plate or dial I made preferably o i' cardboard, wood or other suitable material. One of the surfaces of dial I has a conventional clock face represented thereon. The clock face is divided into two equal segments 2 and by a dlameter line 4 passing through the hour numerals l2 and 6 hereinafter mentioned. Said segments 2 and 3 .are colored' with any two contrasting colors such as pink and green.

The conventional clock face comprises the hour numbers 1 to 12 and the minute dots 5. Certain of the minute dots l opposite the hour numbers or in multiples of 5 are slightly enlarged at 6 to conform to the conventional clock face. The minute dots 5 and 6 and hour numerals 1 to l2 are arranged in a circle il! near the periphery of dial face I.

The means-for denoting the significance of minute dots 5 and 6 embodies the numerals 1 to 29 on the right hand segment i, numerals 29 to 1 on the left hand segment 2 and numeral 30 opposite hour number 6 and bridging the dividing line 4. Said numerals 1 to 30 and 29 to l are located on a circle within and concentric to the minute dots 5 and t and hour numerals 1 to 12 on circle I0, whereby every minute of the hour is represented by a number. There is no numeral or other indicia on the dividing line 4 Just below the hour number 12.i'or none is needed at this location. The numerals 1 to 29 on the right hand segment 3 are located opposite their respective minute dots on the conventional clock face, likewise numerals 29 to 1 on the left hand. segment 2 are located opposite their respective 5 minute dots. The minute number 30 bridging the dividing line 4 is located opposite its respective minute dot on the hour number 8. The numbers l to 29 on the right hand segment 3 will denote the number of minutes after the hour, whereas the minute numbers 29 to 1 on the left hand segment 2 will denote the number of minutes to the hour. The minute number 30 represents either the minutes after the hour or to the hour. l

Moreover, the means for distinguishing between the number of minutes after the hour and the number of minutes to the hour consist in addition to the color scheme heretofore mentioned of using the word "After" printed along the-periphery, of the right hand segment 3 and the word "To" printed along the periphery of the left hand segment 2 or in any other suitable location adjacent the dividing line 4, where-- by to indicate the numbers of minutes after and to the hour.

The means for indicating any particular time on the clock face I embodies a second or auxil- -iary rotary disc I5 made preferably of cardboard, wood or other suitable material and of 80 a different color from either of the two segments 2 and 3, such, for instance, as brown. It rotates independent of clock face I.

Disc I5 is of smaller diameter than dial l but suiciently large to cover the minute numerals l to 30 and 29 to l respectively. A minute hand it is represented by the color black on disc I5. An aperture i'i is made in rotary disc I6 at the pointer portion I8 of said hand I8, whereby to exposeseverally the numerals 1 to 30 and 29 to 1 40 representing the minutes of the hour therebeneath. Portion i8 of hand I6 extends a little beyond the peripheral edge of rotary disc Il.

The minute numbers 1 to 30 and 29 to 1 are in alignment with the corresponding minute dots 5 and 8 respectively. This augment of numbers 1 to 30, 29 to 1 and the dots 5 and 6 allows the minute hand I6 to disclose or register through opening Il therein the number representing the minutes after or to the hour corresponding to the minute dots 5 and 8. In as much as the minute dots i and 8' are not designated by numerals on the conventional clock face, this arrangement of the numbers 1 to 30 and 29 to 1 under the auxiliary disc I5 and their individual 55 exposurethroughaperture Ilwillteachthechild the signiiicance of the minute dotsl and l.

A slide cover Il is pivoted at Il to minute hand Il. It is mounted on the upper surface of said minutehand Ilandisadaptedtobepushed over aperture I1 to close the same. whereby to conceal at will the minute numerals below auxiliary disc Il. This closure of aperture I1 will convert the dial into the conventional clock face, whereby the instructor or child will be able to test the childs ability to tell time without the aid of the minute numbers above mentioned.

An hour hand Il colored black and shorter than minute hand Il is mounted above auxiliary rotary'disc Il and turns independently oi' both disc Il and dial plate I. It has a` large central part Il with an aperture therein for the pro- Jection o! a cotter or fastener pin 21, which projects down through disc il anddial plate I. The shank of pin 21 is split, whereby to form the parts Il, Il. The outer surface of parts 2|, Il are round or they may be fiat. Its free ends Il, 2l are bent back against the lower surface of dial face I. Pin 21 acts as a pivot or axle on which both disc II and hour hand 2l turn for determining any given time.

In operation the child may handle the device to instruct himself or the teacher may take it and turn disc I5 and hour hand 2l to educate the child in telling time. For instance, the instructor may turn disc I5. whereby the minute hand I points to number l2 and then turn the hour hand Il, whereby it likewise points to the hour number 12. Both hands are now indicating the hour of l2. The instructor may then move the disc Il. whereby the minute hand Il points to the hour numeral l and uncoyer the minute numeral through aperture I1. The hour hand 2l will be moved one-twelfth the distance between the hours 12 and 1, whereby the indicate ilve minutes after l2 or the instructor may move the minute h'and I. to the hour l1 and the hour hand 2l to very nearly the hour 3 or eleven-twelfths the distance between 2 and 3 to indicate five minutes to 3.

In like manner the instructor may move the minute hand Il and hour hand 25 to any com-v bination of positions desired, whereby to give the child a thorough instruction in telling time.

After thus instructing the child the teacher may test the pupil's knowledge by moving the cover 20 over aperture Il in the minute portion of disc Il, whereby to conform the device to the conventional clock face and then move the minute and hour hands to different positions to vtest the childs knowledge when the minute numera are completely covered or concealed below disc Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

l. In an educational toy clock dial, a member having a conventional clock face thereon, numbers representing minutes on said clock face. another member having a minute hand indicated thereon. an aperture made in said second named member through said minute` hand. to expose successively the minutes on the clock face. whereby to tell the number of minutes after and to the hour. a member for closing said aperture in said second named member, whereby to test the child's knowledge, and an hour hand pivotally mounted to' said'clock dial. whereby to denote the hours on said dial.

2. In an educational toy clock dial, a member having a clock face indicated thereon, a series r of numbers representing minutes and hours ar- .ranged in an outer circle on said clock face, a

second series of numbers representing minutes after and to the hour arranged in any inner circle concentric with said first named series of numbers, a disc member having a minute hand indicated thereon, an aperture made in said disc member through said minute hand to expose successively the numbers representing minutes after and to the hour, and a hour hand pivotally mounted to said clock dial above said disc-member. whereby to denote the hours on said clock dial.

3. In an educational toy clock dial, a member having a clock face indicated thereon, a series of numbers representing minutes and hours arranged in an outer circle on said clock face, a second series oi numbers representing minutes after and to the hour arranged in an inner circle concentric with said first named series ofnumbers. a disc member having a minute hand indicated thereon. an aperture made in said disc member through said minute hand to expose successively the numbers representing minutes after and to the hour, a member for closing said aperture in said clock dial, whereby to convert said EDITH M. PITCHER. 

